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2421 Posts |
Posted - 08/02/2011 : 08:43 AM
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I was looking for a new area to explore, and a friend had gone to the Black Cat Ranch just outside Hinton for a winter hike. Thought I'd check it out, so I got a group together and we camped at the Ranch and used it as a base for our hikes on the August Long Weekend.
The TH for the many trails that leave Black Cat is just across the road from the entrance. Trails 9 then 18 lead to the summit of Mt. Solomon. The ranch offers trailrides, but most of those seem to follow different routes so you don't have to be concerned about stepping in manure.
We left at around 8:30 - kind of nice not to have to drive to a trailhead. We were accompanied by a couple of the dogs from the ranch - I guess they figured it was a nice day for a walk, but I was impressed with how well the took care of us. One older dog stayed with us, but when we came to a junction he would lead the way down the proper trail. The younger dog ran ahead through the bush checking out the area, then would wait patiently until we caught up before scouting ahead again.  
The first part of the hike is a lovely nature walk through the forest on the valley floor, then the trail gradually begins to rise for a hundred meters or so, steepening steadily as it begins to climb the mountainside. Trail 9 is signed 'Side of Mt. Solomon' and Trail 18 is marked 'Summit of Mt. Solomon'. After a few kilometers the forest begins to open up, and we reached the junction of trails 9 and 18, marked by a bench and the start of some nice views.     
Trail 18 climbs straight up the mountain's south ridge - no switchbacks for the wimpy. It's a bit of a grind broken up only by a few nice viewpoints. Cumulative elevation gain for the whole hike is 590 meters and most of it takes place in that one 3 km section of trail 18. The views include Brule Lake (which is really just a widening of the Athabasca River) and the entire valley well up into Jasper. The flowers were out, and the day was beautiful, cool and sunny.
Looking across the valley, we could see that we were already higher than the elevation of the treelines on other mountains. As the forest thinned out, we began to expect that we'd pop out into the alpine, then hopefully onto an open slope and crest. When we did reach the summit, it was a bit of a disappointment, just a clearing at the top of a cliff and a cairn with a summit register.  Spectacular views, but only one way down the valley. The register was interesting, though, recording other recent trips to the summit days and even weeks apart - obviously the trail isn't hiked very often at all. If you're looking for solitude, this a really nice walk. We stopped for lunch for about an hour, and soaked up some sun, then started back down.       
On the descent, we turned off on Trail 18A, which drops steeply straight back to the ranch. Lots of sore knees at the bottom - hiking poles strongly recommended. Some deadfalls and some sections that would be really nasty and slippery when wet. In bad weather, it would be wiser to return the way you came. 
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Edited by - peter1955 on 08/02/2011 09:42 AM
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46 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2011 : 9:56 PM
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I wondered how this hike was.
My son and I were thinking about hiking there a couple of weeks ago but ended up going to the hoodoo's near Emmerson Lake instead. Maybe next time we are out that way, we will check it out, just for the walk. |
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2421 Posts |
Posted - 08/08/2011 : 06:42 AM
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| Hi, Vicki, and welcome to CT. The nicest thing about the Solomon hike was the view at the top. How old is your son? If he can handle a long day, he might get a kick out of it. |
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46 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2011 : 08:22 AM
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Hi Peter...my son is almost 17. I have taken him on many hikes and he quite enjoys it. I do find he gets a bit bored in the forest, but shines in the alpine. He loves scrambling around on the rocks etc. (It scares the heck outta me when he is doing it though).
I ended up being at the cabin this weekend and decided hike this trail on my own. Your trip report was very accurate. I referred to it before I headed up, but the trail was quite clearly marked anyways (which always makes me feel good when I am on my own). The only thing I would add is that there is NO water on the trail at all. I brought my 2 dogs with me and they were happy to see the water when we got down. It is a pretty hike though and not too difficult, so a great outing for a few hours. Did they have maps at the BC Ranch to show distances etc. for the other trails? (I was there a few years ago doing the MS bike tour, but honestly don't remember the trails). I was curious to check out Solomon's Graves, but wasn't sure of the distance so decided against it. Another day of exploring... |
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2421 Posts |
Posted - 08/22/2011 : 07:34 AM
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Hi, Vicki. Glad you enjoyed the walk. Mt Solomon is the most difficult of the trails leading out of the ranch, and as you found, it's not exactly a killer. They have maps of all of them at the reception desk for Black Cat and they can give good instructions for how to get to any of the other ones.
No bear at all up there this year (for a change) but lots of cougar. Handy to have an experienced dog or two along. |
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Mt. Solomon
